Lose the diet

It seems that every day there’s talk about a new diet. People seem to be searching for “miracle” foods when they might be at our fingertips. I'm talking about natural, simple food and the joy of savoring a meal. This obsession with weight needs to stop, and I don’t mean that we should let ourselves go and eat as much as we want. We need to make wise decisions when eating, not because we want to be a size zero, but because we want to have a life full of good years, not plagued by diseases that could have been prevented if we had the self-control and the motivation to take better care of ourselves.

We look for solutions in the wrong places. We believe in the new diets and proudly follow their instructions, buy their programs, just to be disappointed at the end of the year because we have gained the pounds we lost. There are many reasons why diets will not help you achieve the before and after they promise, among them is the fact that they are a temporary solution to a long term situation. Restrictive diets can actually be harmful because they force the body to adapt to a low calorie intake. The body senses less food is available so it slows the metabolism, which in turn makes it harder to lose weight.

Diets help you lose weight for a period of time, but the only way to have a long term impact on your health is to change your lifestyle.

Do you want a healthier lifestyle?

- Start where you are: Analyze why sometimes you eat more than necessary. Are you really hungry or are you nervous, tired, bored, or anxious?

- Make a long term plan: Make weakly realistic goals. Look at your schedule, at your habits, at your time and see what can you change today to get closer to a healthier lifestyle. Do what works for you, but be honest and challenge yourself, do it for you.  Make the goals harder each week.  

- Do a little something each day: Take one step each day; create new good habits as you destroy the bad ones. Notice what you eat and make small changes daily. Make intentional decisions. It will not be easy but you have the power to decide what goes into your body.

- Eat breakfast: No excuses! If you have a busy morning, then leave something prepared from the night before or wake up ten minutes earlier.  

- Be prepared: If you get hungry often, take food with you. If you are not prepared you will be tempted to stop at the first fast food place you drive by or if someone brings doughnuts to work, you will eat them because you are hungry.

Be determined! Do you really want to be healthier? Then do it! What’s stopping you? Do what you can with what you have but do it now. Make the time to exercise, find ways to keep moving through the day, be strong when it comes to foods that you should not be eating and love yourself in the process.

Manuelita   @manuelitaotero